On October 8th Robert E. Lee sent his hospitalized men by train to Gordonsville to the Exchange Hotel Hospital. Lee’s army marched west in two wings under Hill and Ewell. Hill would take a wider arc but both would be heading toward Madison Courthouse. Major General Fitz Lee’s cavalry division and one infantry brigade would remain behind to try and convince the Federals that the Confederates were still in Orange.

On October 9th Ewell would cross at Barnett’s Ford and Hill at Cave’s Ford.

On October 10th Meade sent Buford’s cavalry division across the Rapidan at Germanna Ford where they headed west toward Morton’s Ford to reconnoiter the Confederate right. Meade also ordered Judson Kilpatrick’s cavalry division to scout west of Culpeper in case Lee was moving in that direction. There they ran into Stuart’s cavalry who after leaving Madison Courthouse had already cleared Union cavalry pickets from Russell’s Ford on the Robinson River. Kilpatrick called for infantry support from French and the III Corps. The 120th NY was sent but the New Yorkers were routed and most of their 211 men captured. This forced the Federals to abandon their signal station on Thoroughfare Mountain. Stuart’s cavalry continued northeast toward James City. Kilpatrick pulled back through the town to the opposite side of Crooked Run. Kilpatrick positioned Brigadier General George Custer’s brigade on the left and Colonel Henry Davies’ brigade on the right. Stuart since he was only screening Lee’s movements further to the west was content to engage in a long-range artillery duel. The 5th MI was taking heavy fire and charged the guns but were repulsed by the 1st SC. This action convinced Meade to abandon the line of the Rapidan and head north on the 11th. Unfortunately for Buford he and his fellow cavalrymen were now on their own, on the south side of the Rapidan.

The number key to the map above is now weathered and unreadable but is shown below.

On the evening of the 10th Buford with his two brigades of cavalry under Colonels Thomas Devin and George Chapman were camped near Morton’s Ford awaiting promised infantry support from the 1st Corps. Although unaware of it at the time, he was now behind Confederate lines, on his own, cut off from all support. The next morning Buford learned of the change of plans and shortly thereafter received delayed orders from Meade not to cross the Rapidan, however, Fitz Lee’s scouts had already spotted Buford and were headed his way. As Chapman’s brigade recrossed Morton’s Ford headed north, he was attacked by Brigadier General Lunsford Lomax. Fitz Lee had crossed another part of his force upstream at Raccoon’s Ford and they headed east to try and cut off Buford but were held up by a Union battery and Buford’s men managed to escape toward Stevensburg. The Federals had managed to cross the Rapidan but in order to join Meade they would now need to cross the Rappahannock River further to the north with Fitz Lee’s cavalry in pursuit. Buford was slowed temporarily when he spotted a Union wagon train headed northeast and defended it from attack by Lee’s cavalry. Buford with no idea where the Union army was located headed for Brandy Station. Meanwhile to the west Robert E. Lee had reached Culpeper, the boyhood home of A.P. Hill, as Stuart and Kilpatrick continued their ongoing skirmishing.

Previous posts of sites in the Culpeper area have covered: Additional Civil War sites in the city of Culpeper; the Fairview Cemetery; the Graffiti House, the Culpeper National Cemetery and the Culpeper Museum.

Both cavalry officers were determined to reach and control the high ground at Fleetwood Hill, the very same hill that Stuart and Kilpatrick had fought over during the Battle of Brandy Station a few months earlier. The 12th VA charged across the fields of “Afton” and “Auburn” and momentarily blocked the road to Brandy Station.

The 18th PA counterattacked, Stuart moved the 4th and 5th NC forward, but they were stopped by the 2nd NY. The 7th VA entered the fray and turned the battle in the Confederates favor; however, Stuart had no additional forces at his disposal and Kilpatrick with a much larger force 5,000 men to Stuart’s 1,500 was able to reach and hold the hill. Kilpatrick and Buford were reunited on Fleetwood Hill while Stuart and Fitz Lee were in the town of Brandy Station at the southern base of the hill near the current Graffiti House.

Buford and Kilpatrick then crossed the Rappahannock River at Beverly’s Ford and were now safely on the north side of the river.

A.P. Hill’s Corps headed toward Amissville and Ewell toward Jeffersonton and Sulphur Springs moving around Meade’s right flank. Ewell would have passed the Jeffersonton Baptist Church.

Union Brigadier General David Gregg was defending the area but Gregg’s men were heavily outnumbered by Stuart’s cavalry and Ewell’s infantry. Ewell was now north of the Rappahannock and would be in Warrenton on the 13th. Hill crossed the Rappahannock at Waterloo Bridge and would join Ewell and Lee in Warrenton.

Meade learning from Gregg that Ewell has crossed the Rappahannock at Sulphur Springs was now on a forced march up the line of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in order to prevent Lee from getting between him and Washington.

Next- The Battle of Auburn

Source

A Want of Vigilance The Bristoe Station Campaign October 9-19, 1863. Emerging Civil War Series. by Bill Backus and Robert Orrison.